Automated Class Waitlist

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a class waitlist?

If a class is full, a student can choose to be placed on a waitlist to enroll in the class if a seat becomes available. When a student is added to the waitlist, they are assigned the next available position number.

What is the purpose of a waitlist?

The waitlist tracks students' need for individual classes and displays the need for additional course sections. For students the waitlist eliminates the need to watch the schedule of classes for an opening in a class section (the only exception is 2 days prior to the start of the class).

Will all classes have a waitlist?

No, it will be up to the division to determine if they want a waitlist on their classes.

Does the waitlist guarantee a spot in the class?

No, there is no guarantee that a seat will open up in the class.

How do students move up on the waitlist?

When a student requests to be placed on a waitlist they are given the next available waitlist position. As currently enrolled students drop the class, eligible waitlisted students are moved up into the class when the waitlist process runs. The remaining students then fill in the wait list spots the previous waitlist students had.

Can a student waitlist a class if he/she has not met the prerequisites?

Yes, but the student will not be eligible to enroll in the class if the requisite is not met. The student will remain on the waitlist but bypassed when there is an opening in the class.

Can a student waitlist a class if there are co-requisites?

No, students cannot waitlist classes that have co-requisites.

Can a student waitlist more than one section of the same class?

Yes, a student can waitlist multiple sections of the same class as long as they are not already enrolled in a section of the class. Students will be added to the first available open section and will then be removed from any additional waitlists for the class.

Can a student waitlist a class he/she is already enrolled in?

No, if a student is already enrolled in a class they are not able to go on the waitlist for a different section of the class.

Why does a student have to waitlist a class that appears to have an open seat?

The waitlist process is scheduled to run multiple times throughout the day. If a seat opens in a class, the class will remain closed until after the waitlist process has completed. If there are no students on the waitlist, the class will reopen after the process has completed. If there are students on the waitlist, the next eligible student on the list will be enrolled in the class and the class will remain closed.

When will the waitlist stop running?

The waitlist process will no longer run 2 days prior to the start date of the class. Students will not be allowed to add themselves to the waitlist at this point. It will be the student's responsibility to monitor available openings in the class when the 2 day window has been reached.

How does a student know when they have been moved from the waitlist to enrolled in the class?

The waitlist process will automatically send an email to the student's NWTC campus email. Students will not be allowed to add themselves to a waitlist unless they have an email account.

Do students automatically move from the waitlist into a class if the class capacity is increased?

Yes, students will automatically move into the open seats the next time the waitlist process runs.

If my department opens a new section of a class that has long waitlists, will students on waitlist of other sections be notified?

No, it is up to the divisions to notify students when new sections become available.

What happens to the waitlist if the class is canceled?

The students who are enrolled in the class as well as students on the waitlist are dropped. It is the division's responsibility to notify all students of class cancellations.

If a prerequisite is required to take my class and the student is currently enrolled in the prerequisite, can the student waitlist my class?

Yes, the system will allow a student to waitlist a class with a prerequisite as long as the student is currently enrolled in the prerequisite.

Why was the student in position number one not added into my class when a seat became available?

The requirements to be moved off of a waitlist are the same as standard enrollment:

If a student is enrolled in another section of the same class, the waitlist option is not available to them for that class.

If a student is enrolled in a class that occurs at the same time there is a time conflict, the waitlist option is not available to them for that class.

If a student has registration holds, i.e., Advising Hold, Bursars Hold, etc., the waitlist process will skip him/her and move on to the next available student.

If a student does not meet the prerequisites the waitlist process will skip him/her and move on to the next available student.

How can instructors view students waitlisted for a class?

To view students waitlisted for your class, sign into My.NWTC and select the class roster icon. Update the enrollment status from enrolled to waiting and click change. The waitlist position number for students will be displayed on the class roster.